Doubt - Kids won't work on online assignments at home.
Answer - This recent wiki page activity showed that many would when it was optional. What if it required?
Doubt - The parents won't want them on the computer so much.
Answer - We can make time at school, or parents can limit all their screen time at home, or they can do the alternative assignments.
PTA Guidelines
Fear - Not many kids have internet access.
Answer - The wide majority do have internet and the others can do the alternate assignments.
Fear - Using Blogs for assignments will leave children unprotected online.
Answer - Safe Blogging Tips - Help parents through these fears by following these tips.
BTW - Does anyone know a secure place for kids to write and respond online? Something like Blogger, but more kid-friendly?
Doubt - There will be so many obstacles that it won't be worth.
Answer - Keep your eyes on the Prize.
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| From our classroom |
Some Videos I might use to educate kids and parents.
I like the videos you posted for educating parents. I think that is a key component in helping students use these tools online at home. Parents should be monitoring their child's computer usage and looking the sites they are visiting. If we help them by supplying the websites that are for education and specifying the purpose, that may help parents overcome some of their fear of what their child may be doing on the internet.
ReplyDeleteAt Open House or some other school sponsored night, maybe we have someone doing a talk about what tools we use at school and give a handout for parents. This way they could preview sites before letting their child on, or work together with their child to visit sites and learn together! What a great way to try to involve and engage the family!!
If we can start to get decrease our doubts and fears, then we can continue to help our students!!
Maybe the 4 of us need to start a wiki and start to jot down these ideas. What lessons or activities are our students using with technology. What ways are we using Web 2.0 tools? I found out in May last year that Wanda and I both did digital portfolios - why did it take 3 years of both of us working on the same PD content to learn we did the same thing. We don't have the collaboration we need! Let's change that!! :)
First, I am still chuckling at your picture! My daughter will love it. She wishes she could have a pet monkey!! I love your thought process here and I love the constructive responses for each fear. I am so happy that you have tried these items and right before your very eyes, have seen immediate benefits with your students. It is truly an amazing thing isn't it?? It makes my heart warm and fuzzy to know you are doing this with your kids and that they are loving it. Here is a blog to try. I believe it can be sheltered and password protected. EduBlogs
ReplyDeleteHey Jim;
ReplyDeleteIt was a very enlightening video. How cool would it be to have kids that want to come to class everyday and were anxious for every assignment because it was something they could make their own? And I bet discipline wouldn't be nearly as much of an issue as it is now for a lot of us. I think you're accurate in that it is a rare case where a child is not able to access technology in some way. It's just too pervasive. And if there is a case, there is probably a way to facilitate that situation. We have a system in place called "SAKAI" that many teachers in our district use as a blogging platform. I haven't used it for that but I've heard it can be cumbersome. The edublog site looks very promising as a tool to use for blogging in school. I think I may give that a try myself.
Hi Jim - Yes, there is a place where you can safely have discussions. At Gilford we have Edline and their is a discussion/blog feature. I haven't used it, but I know the Social Studies classes use it all the time and the kids rant and rave about how great it is!
ReplyDeleteI also have many of the same fears, that kids don't have access to internet and therefore doing an alternative assignment is more work on our part. I feel like if we try and teach them how to use some of this technology in class, it's taking away from our curriculum. Technically shouldn't this be taught in a computer class that students are now required to take?